Typical with a little Twist
by dagnytheartist
Summary: Twist needs to stay away from home for a while, since her father is fighting with her adopted brother. So, wanting to further improve her talent for making sweets, Twist wants to get lessons in baking from everypony's favorite baker -Pinkie Pie! But for some reason, Pinkie Pie is trying to be as distant from Twist as possible, and it's up to her and Applebloom to figure out why
1. Luna's Party

Today was a special day in Equestria. Princess Luna's birthday! This would be the first birthday she had since she escaped from her prison in the moon, so naturally Celestia wanted to hold a surprise party for her at the Canterlot Town Hall.

Most of the sophisticated ponies of Canterlot had never heard of a surprise party, but once Celestia taught them what to do, they were excited to know that they could remain quiet for a few minutes and just say "Surprise" on Celestia's word. They waited and waited until the not-as-sophisticated among them started to whine. "When is Luna supposed to be here?!"

Celestia, getting impatient as well, decided to open a portal. She recently started using portals to find or talk to Luna when they were far apart, and gasped at what she saw.

"Thou makest the best of parties Pinkie Pie!" Luna laughed as she ate her dark blue cupcake with silver moon-shaped sprinkles.

"Anything for you, Princess Luna!" Pinkie said with cupcake in her mouth. Twilight, annoyed at Pinkie's rudeness, put her hoof near Pinkie's mouth and hissed "Show some respect for the princess!"

"Oh, sorry!" Pinkie bowed down in front of Twilight.

"What are you doing?"

"Bowing down to the princess, silly!" Pinkie giggled but kept her head down in sincerity. A confused Twilight stared at Pinkie until Rainbow Dash laughed. "Forgot you were an alicorn again, Twilight?"

"It is fine!" Luna said. "We are having the best fun!"

Celestia then peeked her head through the portal, which until now everypony hadn't noticed was there. "Ahem, Luna, I thought we agreed to meet-"

"AHH!" Everypony stared in awe at the portal with Celestia's head sticking out. The children started laughing at the sight. The adults couldn't tell whether to laugh or be afraid, so they nervously started laughing.

"Celestia, what's going on?" Twilight asked.

Celestia stared at Twilight and tried to fake a smile. "I'm just... startled by the sudden change of plans. Luna was going to meet me here in Canterlot-" Celestia glared at Luna. Luna stared at the floor.

"We- we wanted to have a more informal celebration. With friends, not those stuffy ponies in Canterlot."

Celestia sighed. She had to find a way to combine her calm, peaceful state she showed to her subjects, and her annoyed, angry state she wanted to show toward Luna. She chose to calmly say "Yes, but we're supposed to be thinking of how we present ourselves to our subjects, and this-." She pointed to Luna's green T-shirt which said "S_upport wild life, throw a party!_" "-Is not how I think we should present ourselves."

"But-"

"Just go to Canterlot sister. I'll let you use my portal."

Luna sighed and frowned. "No sister, we want to stay here at Pinkie Pie's fun party." She stood taller and yelled in the royal canterlot voice. "WE SHALL PRESENT OUR OWN IMAGE TO THE PUBLIC, JUST AS YOU PRESENT YOUR'S! LEAVE TO YOUR PARTY, WE WILL HAVE OUR'S HERE!"

Celestia started to become aware of everypony staring at them. One filly was reaching for a camera. She whispered "Please Luna, we shouldn't fight in front of _them_."

"WE THOUGHT THOU WANTED TO FIGHT! WILL THOU RETALIATE, OR DO I WIN?!"

Celestia stopped containing her anger. "Do you realize how embarrassing this is Luna?! We princesses are supposed to set an example for our kingdom, and you're feeding all those gossip reporters enough to ruin the reputation of our kingdom!"

At this comment, three little fillies behind the crowd smiled guiltily.

Luna smiled and picked up a plate. "Would thou like a slice of cake? Oh, that's right, thou would eat the whole cake, miss 'Just Like Us!'"* Celestia and Twilight just stared with their mouths open. Rainbow Dash flew up to Luna and said "BURN! High hoof!" Luna slapped Rainbow's hoof as she smiled at Celestia.

Celestia closed the portal, already planning a formal apology in her head, as Luna's party continued to celebrate her owning.

Pinkie walked out of the party room and into the kitchen, ready to make more treats for everyone, when a little red haired filly followed nervously behind her.

"Pinkie!"

Pinkie screamed and looked at Twist. "Oh, it's _you_." She grinned at Twist, but she had a little bit of stress in her voice as she said "What are you doing here?"

"I want to help with the candy and thweets!" Her eyes beamed. "You're the betht treat maker in Ponyville!"

Pinkie forced a smile, something that she normally doesn't have to fake. "Oh, I don't need any help little filly! You should go back to the party!"

Twist frowned. "But I want to help you!"

"I- I don't need help! Sorry filly! Your daddy probably wants you."

Twist obeyed, but walked away confused.

Pinkie was right, her dad did want her, but she was trying to get away from him because he tended to be overprotective at crowded places. As soon as she entered the party room again, her father smiled and said "Twister! Come on, sweetie! Time to go home yet?"

"Thure." She said sadly.

As soon as he saw her frown, her father ran to his unusually sad filly. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" They walked out of the party and started for home. "Was some unicorn being snotty to you?"

She frowned at her dad. "Not all unicornth are mean Dad."

"Well, what happened?"

"I don't feel like talking about it."

"Ok." Twist's dad put his hoof around her. "Oh, and when we get home, remember not to wake up Silver."

Twist smiled. She almost forgot about Silver Magpie.


	2. Silver Magpie

A light blue unicorn was sleeping on the couch when Twist and her father came home. Twist's father went to his room to take a nap while Twist sat next to Silver.

"Thilverrrr" she whispered in a singsong voice, poking him with her hoof. "Maaagpiiiiie. Wake uuup!"

"Ugh." Silver opened his eyes a little. "Oh, hey Twist. Dad told you not to bug me."

"Too bad." She put her head next to his and stared into his eyes, forcing him to look at her big pink eyes.

"What do you want?" He muttered.

She reached under the couch and took out a candy cane she had been saving for him. "You want thith. Ith homemade."

He got up and took it. He rolled his eyes. "Oh gee, wonder who made this." He looked at her and asked "How did you put this wrapping around it without magic?"

"Thath my thecret."

A pink glow formed around the candy cane as it unwrapped itself. Twist watched happily as Silver Magpie took a bite out of the top. "Don't you have a sleepover or something to get to?"

Twist stopped smiling. "A thleepover? I haven't had a thleepover thinth Applebloom made the Cutie Mark Cruthaderth."

He took another bite of the homemade treat and frowned. "So you're a friendless loser?"

Twist frowned. "Thath not nice! I have friendth! I um, I have Thunny Dayth and Peathy Keen! And I have, uh, you and Dad."

"Me? Oh I'm so honored." He turned to walk outside. "I've got a meeting with my gang, so see you for dinner. Maybe. If I'm not back later." He walked outside, but then walked back in and whispered "if I'm not back by ten, tell Dad I'm doing schoolwork."

"Ok!" Twist waved as Silver left. "A thleepover, huh. What a thuper idea!" Twist trotted to Applebloom's house to ask about it.

* * *

"A sleepover?" Applebloom smiled. "Gosh, ah haven't had a sleepover with you in a wh-al, but y'all could come over ton-aght!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's eyes widened with panic. Neither of them liked Twist.

"But what about getting our barrel rolling cutie marks?!" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle sighed. "That talent is so common I'd rather take an arrow to the knee. But, um," Sweetie Belle tried to think of a good excuse. "She's not a crusader, so it would be weird to have a meeting with Twist in it."

Twist looked down and muttered "Thath true I gueth." But Applebloom wanted to have the sleepover with Twist, so she said "It doesn't have to be a Crusader meeting, ah say it's a sleepover! All four of us at mah house!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other worriedly. They knew they weren't going to convince Applebloom otherwise. Sweetie Belle said "I'd love to, but I've got some dresses to make with Rarity."

"And," Scootaloo started, "I just remembered I was going to, uh, check on the birds!"

The other fillies looked at her funny. Scootaloo tried to explain "The birds! You know, how we built those nests out of newspaper, and how we were gossip columnists and I wanted to get a story? Well, I saw some eggs up in the nest and, well-"

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom thought she was being weird, but Twist smiled. "Maybe you'll get a bird watching cutie mark!" she offered.

Scootaloo beamed. "Hey, yeah! That would be awesome! Great idea, Twist!" Realizing that she just complimented Twist, she tried to back it up by adding "Well, anypony could have thought of that. And who'd want a bird watching cutie mark? What kind of talent is that?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned to leave and said "Bye Applebloom! See you tomorrow!" without any regards to Twist.

* * *

**This is the first pony fanfiction I ever wrote, and also the first fanfiction I've written in a while. Feel free to tell me what you think of it so far! **

**Silver Magpie is one of my first OCs, and I decided to put him in here as Twist's adopted older brother. He's an unlucky loner who wants to be seen as a goth but everything in the universe doesn't want him to be; he's got periwinkle fur, a straight black (but naturally curly baby blue) mane, and an unfortunate cutie mark (I'll mention it in a couple of chapters.) I might put a picture of him on Deviantart later.**

**There aren't a lot of Twist stories here. I don't get why, I think she's adorable. :)**


	3. Applebloom and Twist

The two fillies walked to Applebloom's room, which, as usual, was covered with drawings, projects, clothes, and CMC business projects. Applebloom sat on her bed, and Twist found a clear spot to sit on the floor. She told Applebloom "I'm thorry for not keeping in touch with you."

Applebloom smiled with relief. "Thanks, Twist! Ah was wonderin' about that! What's been going on?"

"I have a new brother, and it'th making life at home hectic."

Applebloom didn't know what "hectic" meant, but she looked excited. "A brother! What's he look lak? Ah bet he's suuuuuper cute!"

"I gueth you could thay that." Twist thought he was cute for teenage colt standards, even if he was sad-looking.

"How old's he now?! Am I allowed to babysit?! You think-" She gasped and looked at her bare flank. "Maybe ah'll get mah cutie mark in filly sitting!"

Twist frowned. "Applebloom, he'th not a baby. He'th a teenager. My daddy adopted him when he was running away."

"A teenager?"

"He'th altho a unicorn."

Applebloom got quiet. Everyone in town knew that Twist's father was racist against unicorns and pegasi. It was embarrassing for Twist to talk about, and she tried to be as sweet to everypony as possible to avoid the reputation of being like her father. Twist's father was always telling her not to play with Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo. Not that she needed his advice; they avoided her anyway.

"A unicorn. Ouch. So ah take it yer dad and yer brother don't get along very well, huh?" Twist nodded. "So wha'd he adopt him, then?"

"Dad thays he thaw him on the thidewalk latht Thursday. He wath walking alone, and all he had was the blanket around his rump (Thilver never takes it off, I thwear. Ith very weird.) Dad thays he'th gonna find Thilver'th parents and bring him home, but I can't tell Thilver that or he'll run away again!"

"His name is Silver?"

"Thilver Magpie." Seeing Applebloom's confused expression, she added "I don't know what it meanth either." They laughed about it for a minute, then Applebloom hugged Twist. "Ah'm so glad we're friends again!" She said. "And ah'm sorry 'bout Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo acting weird around you."

"Yeah, what wath that about?" Twist wasn't one to hold a grudge, but she never knew why they were so weird toward her.

Applebloom brushed her mane nervously and winced. "It's mah fault. Ah thought y'all abandoned me as a friend, and ah kinda complained a lot about it to them."

"I didn't abandon you!" Twist said. "Did I?"

"No, ah overreacted. Y'all were excited about getting your cutie mark, so of course y'all went to that party to celebrate for yourself and-" She frowned, "Damond Tiara. Ah'm sorry Twist, ah'll tell them that y'all didn't abandon me."

Twist wanted to tell her that she thought _Applebloom_ abandoned _her_ when she made the CMC and didn't talk to her again, but she didn't want Applebloom to feel guiltier. She just smiled. "Thath alright. Want to, um..." It had been a while since Applebloom and Twist did anything as friends. She momentarily forgot what they used to do. They had mostly been school friends.

"Ah wanna meet that brother of your's. He must be really polaht to yer dad if he's letting a _unicorn_ stay at his house."

Twist giggled. "Thilver's not really polite. He'th kind of dith-tant and quiet. He usually just walks around town, then thleeps on the couch when he gets home."

"He doesn't go to school?!" Applebloom gasped. "Won't the truant officer get him?!"

Twist was wondering that herself. "I don't know. Maybe he's good at playing hooky."

"Well if he just moved in, then he isn't playing hooky, since he isn't signed up for a school yet. Ah heard Applejack and Babs Seed talking about it." Applebloom sighed. "Babs wanted to go to school here instead of Manehattan to avoid the bullies at her old school. Ah wasn't on good terms with Babs at that tam, so the idea of her going to Miss Cheerily's class worried me. Now ah know she was avoiding those bullies." She looked at Twist worriedly. "The bullies at her school pinned her down and gave her a tail cut! They didn't reach the skin, but could y'all imagine..."

She stopped in mid sentence The two girls shuddered. Twist got a scared look on her face, and Applebloom said "Ah don't know why ah told you that. Just, ever since ah heard that story, ah've been worried someone would do that to mah tail. Gave me a ton of nightmares!"

"That wouldn't happen Applebloom. And her tail grew back, right?"

Applebloom looked reassured. "Ah course it did. Ah'm just being paranoid."

* * *

Applebloom decided to show Twist the tree house for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Much like Applebloom's bedroom, the tree house was filled with drawings, crafts, and even MORE Cutie Mark Crusaders business papers.

"So this is the clubhouse we use to come up with crusadin' business."

"Thweet!" Twist walked around and looked at the drawings on the walls. "Who drew thith map of Ponyville?"

"Scootaloo, ah think."

"Ith very good." She looked at Sugar Cube Corner on the map and wondered _Should I tell Applebloom about Pinkie Pie? _

"Thanks! Ah mean, thanks for saying that to Scoots. Ah'll tell her y'all said that."

_I don't want to make her sad, or myself sad, but we're on better terms now so..._

"Do you think I'll ever get my own candy thtore thome day?" Twist asked hopefully, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, yer treats are really good! Y'all could be lak Pinkie and the Cakes some day!"

Twist's smile faded a little bit. Applebloom looked confused. "Twist, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"_You_ don't ever frown EVER unless it's somethin' serious."

"Pinkie'th- I don't know. She'th avoiding me like the plague."

"_Pinkie Pah_?!" Applebloom frowned. "The most undiscriminating pony in Ponyville is _avoidin'_ you?! No way! What did y'all do?!"

"I don't know." Twist looked like she was about to cry. "I jutht asked to make treats with her for the party, and she- she told me to go home. She'th my role model, my hero, I don't know what I did to her!" Tears were starting to form around the little filly's eyes, spilling into her glasses and affecting her vision.

Applebloom hugged her again. "Don't crah, now, ah'll figure out what Pinkie's mad about."

"She didn't theem mad! She jutht- she doethn't- I don't know!" Applebloom wasn't used to seeing Twist cry, or having to hug a sad pony twice in one day. What neither Twist nor Applebloom fully understood at the time was that her stress at home, as well as not having anypony to talk to and having someone not like you for no reason, can pile up on even a happy filly like Twist, and cause a lot of sadness and anger to spill out.

Applebloom stopped talking to Twist and walked to the kitchen, returning a few seconds later with an apple pie. Twist smiled. "Thankth."

"Ah'll figure out what Pinkie's problem is, but not tomorrow. Ah got to earn mah extreme biking cutie mark!" At the same time, they both shouted "Cutie Mark Crusaders, yay!" and high hoof. Applebloom taught her the CMC high hoof this morning, and even though she wasn't a part of their group, she still felt good high-hoofing a friend.

* * *

**Hey guys, I think I have a little bit more understanding of Twist's lisp, since I recently saw my ****sister's play **_**Annie**_** (she didn't get any good parts, I don't even remember who she was) and the kid playing the rich father had a lisp like Twist's. I tried to listen to him talk so that I would know which sounds he said differently. He was adorable, by the way, and I think he did a good job. Not as good as the girl playing Miss Hannigan, but my sister claims that she's an insensitive jerk in real life, so maybe that's how she got the part.**

**I hope Twist wasn't too OOC in this chapter. Even a happy filly like her has bad days. **

**Please tell me what you think of this story. As with most fanfictions, hateful reviews will be ignored, but constructive ones will be appreciated. :)**


	4. Untalented and Unlucky

The next day, little Twist walked cheerfully to the hospital. A bag of candy canes bounced around her mouth.

After being told that Applebloom could have visitors, Twist walked in and saw her friend lying on the side of her hospital bed, facing away from the door. Her left front leg and both back legs were covered in bandages. "Hey Applebloom, how'r you feeling today?"

"Ugh!" Applebloom slowly turned to her other side. "Oh, hey Twist. Ah'm not feeling very fahn. All mah legs hurt, and ah have a headache from yesterday."

"Here." Twist handed her a candy cane.

"Thanks."

"I got thome for Thweetie Belle and Thcootaloo too!"

Applebloom smiled weakly, despite her headache. "That's very sweet. They'll lak that. Ah'm sure Sweetie Belle will forgive you fer..." She decided not to finish her thought. Twist did _not_ abandon her, but she hadn't told Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo that. All of the stories she told her friends about Twist put her in a bad light, since Applebloom was still mad at her at the time. She felt really guilty about that now.

Looking up at Twist, she knew she'd have to tell her another lie. Another little white lie for Applebloom. She didn't like telling lies, especially since her sister was the element of honesty and was always reminding her about the importance of trust, but she didn't want her friends to be rude to Twist. _Maybe I'll get my cutie mark in lying"_ she thought guiltily.

"Maybe y'all shouldn't see them today." She started. "You can't, actually. Ah heard they were... havin' surgery."

Twist frowned. "Oh no! Well, I hope that goeth well. Um, thee you later." Twist turned and started to open the door when Applebloom remembered something. She weakly lifted her one "good" leg (well, it was in better shape than the other three.) "Wait!" She yelled. "Ah want you to do somethin' first!"

Puzzled at Applebloom's sudden change in tone, Twist faced her ailing friend. "What? What?"

"Could you-" She paused and looked at the blanket. She tried to lift it herself, but it was hurting her arms even more. Twist saw what she was doing and helped her lift the blanket off her body. Applebloom continued. "Ah know this sounds a maght silly, but could you see if ah got ma cutie mark yet? Ah wanted to see mahself, but the doctors wouldn't let me get up."

Twist smiled. "Oh, okay!" She looked at Applebloom's bare flank. She turned to the hopeful filly, a little bit sad to have to tell her the truth. "Thorry Applebloom. It'th not there yet."

Applebloom's smile dropped. "Aw, ah was hopin' for an EXTREME BAH-KIN cutie mark."

Twist giggled. "Um, I don't think ecthreme bikerth forget their helmeth when they bike."

Applebloom was about to lift her hoof to hit herself in the head, but remembered it was in pain. "Ya got a point there, Twist."

"Well, thee you later!"

"Bye!" Applebloom went back to sleeping as Twist walked out of the hospital to go home.

* * *

Poor Twist got home in the middle of a fight between Silver and her father. She could hear their fighting from outside, and hesitated to open the door.

"How is it so hard to get a job?!" Her father yelled. He almost never yelled, so his yell sounded more like just a louder version of talking, but it scared Twist. "I know a lazy unicorn like you is used to getting everything you want, but that's not how it works at my house! You're old enough to pay the bills here!"

Twist decided it was better just to stay outside and listen. Frightened but curious, she sat down, putting one ear by the door and listening.

"You don't know what it's like to be me!" Silver muttered angrily, refusing to look at the angry stallion in front of him. "You _know_ what you're good for. You're actually good at something. I'm not good at anything."

Her dad wasn't buying this "teenage angst" act. "Any idiot can get a job!"

Silver looked up at the stallion decided to yell back. "You don't understand! I have no special talent! My cutie mark is a joke!"

"What is your stupid cutie mark, then, you dumb kyieros*?!" Twist slapped her forehead. Oh no, did he really just call him a "_kyieros_?" As far back as Twist can remember, her father sometimes used that word to describe anyone he was mad at, particularly unicorns or pegasi. She used to think it was just another word for "idiot." After an embarrassing incident at school, however, Twist learned that it was actually mean slang that meant "evil or stupid unicorn."

She opened the door to say something and saw her father quickly lifting one hoof to take off Silver's blanket that he keeps on his flank. Silver backed off and, noticing the open door, ran off. "Come back here, Silver!" Twist's father yelled angrily.

Twist, scared that her brother was leaving, ran behind to follow him. She was pretty good at making herself seem invisible when she followed someone, so Silver Magpie would never expect the little yellow pony to be standing on a tall branch of his secret tree. "Thilver!" She yelled, concerned.

"Ah!" He gave a startled cry, but quickly changed to his usual, bored expression. "Did Dad send you here?" He muttered.

"No, I came here mythelf." She hopped to the ground as Silver wondered how she even got up to the tall branch. "I'm thorry about the fight. Daddy wath jutht angry. You're not a kyieroth."

He frowned. "Don't say that. Don't you know what that means?"

"Yeah, 'kyieroth' meanth a dumb unicorn. Daddy thayth it all the time, but I know ith mean."

Silver sighed. "I mean, don't say it even now. I know you're not insulting me, but you're supposed to just say 'that word' or 'the k-y-i word'."

Suddenly getting it, Twist felt embarassed. "Oh." She thought about the fight. "Why don't you get a job?"

Silver glared at Twist, but then looked away when he realized she wasn't trying to be rude. "I don't want a job. They just remind me that I'm useless. I'm better off begging for spare change on a street."

The idea of her brother sitting on a street with a hat full of pennies and a sign that says "Spare bits and I'll wash your wagon" made Twist sad. "But you do have a talent," she said, pointing to his blanket. "What ith it?"

"I can't show you." He said. "It's stupid."

Twist laughed. "There are loth of thtupid cutie markths in Ponyville, but thothe ponieth are enjoying their talenth."*****

"Maybe later." Silver touched his blanket insecurely.

"You are gonna come back home, right?" Twist gave her best puppy dog eyes.

Silver smiled a little bit. "Yeah, just not tonight. I'll be... um... staying at someone else's tonight." Silver started to walk away, but the little filly followed him.

"Who?"

"I- I don't know. It doesn't matter to you. Go home."

"But who would you thtay with? You don't know anypony here!"

Silver gave her an accusing look. "How do you know that?"

"I follow you thometimeth."

"Yeah, right." Silver laughed. "I think you just guessed."

"No, I followed you yetherday before thcool. You that at that tree and read a book."

Silver's eyes widened. "OK, you're starting to creep me out now."

"Jutht thayin'. Thee you tomorrow." Twist walked back to her house where she knew she would have to, ugh, talk to her dad about the fight. Not that she would be the one to bring it up, of course. Her dad was the master at bringing up subjects, akward things that neither one of them wanted to talk about, just so that he wouldn't feel guilty about something he did.

As soon as she got home, she saw her dad sweeping the floor, and looking sad but more calm than when she last saw him. He looked up at Twist. "Oh, hi sweetie. Did you follow Silver?"

"Yeah."

"Well, where is he?"

"He thays he'th thtaying at a frienth houth."

"Oh, that's good." He swept a little more and said "Sweetie, I'm sorry for fighting in front of you. Silver was being... incorrigible. He says he can't do anything, but I know he's being lazy." Twist expected him to add something racist and intolerant about all unicorns being lazy, but instead he just sighed. "He's a teenager, and I'm not used to those yet."

"I'll be a teenager too, Daddy."

He looked up at her and smiled. "Hopefully not for a while, though."

* * *

_*pronounced "k-yeer-os," from the Greek word "μονόκερος" ("Mo-no kyeeros") meaning unicorn. Yes, I did this on Google Translate._

_*Forgive me for typing that confusing sentence. I'll try to avoid putting so many words with "s" sounds together when Twist is speaking._

* * *

**I was rereading chapter one and realized I said her full first name was "Twister." I meant to say it was "Twizzler," like the candy.**

**Twist's father isn't meant to be mean, he's just racist because he's misguided and doesn't take the time to know other unicorn/pegasi. I knew some people who are like that, and it's best just to ignore it when they say something that sounds... bad. I'm talking about the type of people who wouldn't say mean things about someone they knew personally, but would say things about their neighbors/people on TV. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	5. Applebloom the (Evil?) Genius

The next day, three fillies were on their way to Twist's house. Well technically one of them was on crutches, and the other two were limping when they walked. Nevertheless, they were in much better condition than yesterday and were allowed to walk again.

Scootaloo rang the doorbell and, unfortunately, was greeted by Twist's father.

"Can I help you?" He asked, in an irritated "how dare you interrupt my morning with your presence" tone.

"We're here to visit Twist!" Sweetie belle squeaked, her voice cracking a little as she happily licked a green candy cane.

Applebloom turned to her friend, slightly annoyed. "That's yer tenth one today, Sweetie Beyell! Let us have some too!"

Twist's father looked a little nervous and said "Visit? I, um, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" Scootaloo asked.

"I don't want her- I mean- all of you, or any of you, to get hurt if you go somewhere."

The three fillies glanced at each other, confused. Applebloom spoke up. "Then can we just go insahd?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." He repeated. "You should go home." He lightly kicked the door closed, leaving the three disappointed fillies.

"Ah guess we can't thank her for the candy canes." Applebloom sighed.

"Oh, you're welcome!" Twist appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and hugged her friends. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom smiled, but Scootaloo looked startled. "Where did you come from?!"

"I wath on the roof, lithening to you talk to my dad." She looked at the bag of candy canes Sweetie Belle carried. "Where did you guyth find thothe? I wath looking for the retht."

Applebloom's eyes widened. "The rest? Oh, dear..." They all turned to Sweetie Belle, who had eaten the last candy cane. Sweetie Belle looked up, realizing what was going on. "Were we only allowed to have one each?"

Twist nodded, but smiled. "It'th okay. I can alwayth make more."

"I didn't even get _one_!" Scootaloo whined, glaring at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle, oblivious to Scootaloo's obvious annoyance, continued to lick her candy cane in blissful silence.

"So we're all gonna help Twist get Pinkie Pah to stop ignorin' her!" Applebloom finished her story as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat in place, confused. Twist squirmed, not at all used to being the center of attention.

"But why would Pinkie be mad at Twist?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"That's what we're here to fahnd out!"

Sweetie Belle wasn't satisfied. "No, I mean why would PINKIE PIE, the happiest nicest pony in Ponyville, ignore Twist like she's carrying the plague?"

"That _really _sucks." Scootaloo said, patting Twist on the back.

"Maybe..." Sweetie Belle wondered. "Maybe if we just be honest and tell Pinkie that she should stop-"

"NO!" Applebloom panicked and put her hoof over Sweetie Belle's mouth. Sweetie Belle bit it in protest, forcing Applebloom to pull it away. "Then she'll be mad at us! We gotta be all _secretive and mysterious_!" She said those last words a little quieter, and now sported an evil grin on her face. The other fillies looked at each other excitedly. They knew what this would lead to- carrying out a plan that could only be handled by the Cutie Mark Crusaders!

* * *

Meanwhile, a hyper pink pony was squeezing green and white frosting all over the newly baked brownies. "Lyra's sure to like these!" She said happily to herself. She started humming another song she made up about baking when she heard a loud tapping at the door.

"Applebloom!" She bounced to the door and lifted the yellow filly. "How are you? Do you want an extra brownie?" Before Applebloom could even walk through the door, Pinkie ran to the kitchen and ran back to shove a brownie in her mouth. She had to smile; Sugar Cube Corner brownies were delicious.

"So ah wanted to work on this project."

"Ok, what's that got to do with baking?" She asked.

Applebloom thought carefully about her answer. "Well, ah'm not the best at baking, so ah need y'all to help me make two hundred cupcakes by Monday. W-with a friend!" She added the last part to prepare Pinkie for the news about Twist.

She was expecting Pinkie to look atleast a little bit stressed about the workload, but Pinkie kept her happy smile. "Two dozen? We could have those done by tonight!"

Applebloom sighed. She'd have to somehow add more work to the project. "Well, ya see Pinkie, they're, um, the cupcakes are..."

"Cake-size cupcakes!" Scootaloo hissed through the walkie talkie. Her voice shocked both ponies, since Applebloom forgot about the walkie talkie and Pinkie didn't know it was there.

"What was that voice?" Pinkie was about to look around, but Applebloom quickly responded "Ah said, the cupcakes are HUGE! They need to be about the sahz of a regular cake!" Applebloom put her arms up high to show Pinkie how large they should be.

Pinkie's eyes widened, but instead of panicking she looked excited. "What a great idea! Cherilee's curriculum sure has changed since I was a school filly!" Applebloom considered asking what a curriculum was, but instead left Pinkie to her thoughts as she took out a cake mixer and a bunch of pans.

"So who gets to work with us?"

"Twizzler."

Pinkie, who had been in the middle of throwing pots and pans to the ground, suddenly stopped and poked her head out. She kept her smile, but something about her seemed less happy. "You mean that little filly with the red hair and glasses?"

"Yeah?"

"Okie dokie lokie, I don't know her very well but we can get that project done!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the CMC treehouse, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were listening to the conversation through the walkie talkies. Sweetie Belle gasped at what Pinkie just said.

"What?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle. "She didn't say anything bad."

Sweetie Belle frowned in sadness. "I know but... that didn't even sound like Pinkie."

Scootaloo giggled. "What, you think she's possessed or something?" She stood up on her hind legs and tried to appear threatening. "Like she's the moaning ghost mare, looking for her _rusty horseshoe!_" The filly lost her balance and tumbled over in laughter.

Sweetie Belle sighed. "That's not what I mean. I mean, Pinkie just sounded so sad. And she's _never _sad!"

Scootaloo continued giggling, despite knowing that her "joke" wasn't nearly as funny as she was reacting to it. "Well, it's still Pinkie Pie, so she'll get distracted and stop being- GASP! Sweetie Belle it's the ice cream mare!"

Upon hearing the familiar jingle, the two fillies ran out of the tree house and abandoned their walkie talkie, leaving Applebloom and the unfinished plan to herself.

**Thanks to The-Alicorn-of-Deduction, ifeellikeihavewings, and ****The Harmonic Vileplume for the reviews! :)**

**Hoped you liked this chapter!**


	6. The Plan Starts To Fail

**Sorry about the wait. I planned on making this story longer, but I realize it would have dragged on and on like my last stories, so I'm trying to speed up the plot. If this makes it seem rushed, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy this chapter. -dagnytheartist**

"OK, so what's the plan now gals?" Applebloom whispered into the walkie talkie while Pinkie Pie set up the cooking supplies they needed.

No answer.

"GALS! What's the plan?!" Applebloom panicked as Pinkie Pie returned. She hid the walkie talkie behind her back and listened while Pinkie said "Should we get started?"

"Wha don't we wait for Twist first?"

Small thumping noises were coming from the walkie talkie. It sounded like somepony running up a ladder. Still Pinkie didn't notice. "Where is Twist?"

"Ah don't, uh..." The nervous filly stammered as she stared into Pinkie's curious eyes, which were unusually intimidating. "Ah'll be right back!"

Applebloom ran into the public restroom and grabbed the walkie talkie again. She turned it on. "Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! What's going on?!"

"Applebloom!" The threatening deep voice startled Applebloom.

"Who is this?! Y'all aint mah friends!"

"Oh yeah, your friends (ahem). I have your friends captured."

Applebloom gasped.

"If you want to see them again, you have to do exactly as I-" Applebloom heard some muffled laughter. "-as I say."

"Anything y'all want! Please don't hurt them!"

She heard more muffled laughter. The voice sounded almost familiar...

A different (but just as deep) voice could be heard. "Word on the street is that the Apple family had a good year. Apple production gone up since February."

Applebloom gulped. "Y-yeah?"

"Well, we's be needing some of that profit for our own gain. It would be a shame to sell these two ugly fillies into slavery, but if-"

"WHAT?! AHHHHH!" Applebloom forgot about the plan and ran to get Pinkie Pie, leaving the walkie talkie on.

"They're doing what?!" Pinkie Pie slammed the door open and picked up the walkie talkie. She angrily yelled "You better not have harmed Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo, _or else_!"

Two gasps were heard through the walkie talkie. "Whoa, is- is that Pinkie Pie?!"

"Don't make me go over there!" Applebloom stared in amazement as Pinkie Pie took control of the situation. Who ever the fillynappers were, they must have been scared out of their minds.

"Uh... we're prepared to offer a new deal... we'll release the two fillies, and you won't call the police... OK?"

Applebloom smiled. They were definitely scared now! But Pinkie wasn't through. "First, tell me who you were, so I know I'll never see your meany faces again!"

They could hear a muffled argument of "You tell her" and "it was your idea," until finally, the first voice revealed "We were... just kidding about the whole fillynapping thing."

"What do you mean 'just kidding'?!" Pinkie's voice sounded less threatening than before, but she still sounded mad enough to get revenge.

"It was a dumb prank, and we're sorry..." There was a few minutes of silence until the message followed "but it was Spike's idea!"

"What?!" The other voice responded, sounding exactly like Spike. "You're the one who flew into the tree house and found this walkie talkie!"

"Yeah, but I didn't think they'd actually- AHH!"

Applebloom looked to Pinkie Pie, only to find that she had ran off. She heard Pinkie's voice into the walkie talkie. "Rainbow Dash! Spike! That wasn't a nice prank! Say you're sorry to Applebloom for scaring her!"

Spike's apology came first as the standard "Sorry, won't happen again," followed by Rainbow Dash's voice. "Sorry Applebloom, for reals this time."

"That's OK, but where did mah friends really go?" Applebloom asked. _And where is the plan supposed to go now?_ she added in her head. But she couldn't come up with a plan, because she heard a familiar knock at the door.

It was Twist.


End file.
